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Nature and Science December 2019
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Civilized to death : the price of progress
by Christopher Ryan
The New York Times best-selling coauthor of Sex at Dawn explores the ways in which the author believes progress has perverted the way we live: how we eat, learn, feel, mate, parent, communicate, work and die. 100,000 first printing. Tour.
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Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe
by Steven Strogatz
What it is: an applied mathematician's surprisingly accessible guide to calculus, which outlines its basic concepts while recounting its history.
Food for thought: "If anything deserves to be called the secret of the universe, calculus is it."
You might also like: Mathematician Amir Alexander's similarly engaging Infinitesimal, which also explores a world-changing concept.
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The body : a guide for occupants
by Bill Bryson
"Bill Bryson, bestselling author of A Short History of Nearly Everything, takes us on a head-to-toe tour of the marvel that is the human body. As compulsively readable as it is comprehensive, this is Bryson at his very best, a must-read owner's manual for everybody. Bill Bryson once again proves himself to be an incomparable companion as he guides us through the human body--how it functions, its remarkable ability to heal itself, and (unfortunately) the ways it can fail. Full of extraordinary facts (your body made a million red blood cells since you started reading this) and irresistible Bryson-esque anecdotes, The Body will lead you to a deeper understanding of the miracle that is life in general and you in particular. As Bill Bryson writes, "We pass our existence within this wobble of flesh and yet take it almost entirely for granted." The Body will cure that indifference with generous doses of wondrous, compulsively readable facts and information"
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| Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes that Stick by Wendy WoodWhat it's about: Drawing on current research, a psychology professor examines the science behind habit formation and offers pointers on how we can use this information to improve our own lives.
The takeaway: Conscious decision-making is overrated; most of what we do (positive or negative) is the result of unconscious habitual behaviors that can be changed and reinforced through repetition.
Who it's for: everyone interested in making a big change (especially anyone who's ever been criticized for "lacking willpower"). |
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| The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Steve BrusatteWhat it is: A captivating look at what current research says about the rise, reign, and (so-called) extinction of dinosaurs.
Did you know? If the dinosaurs discussed here seem different than the ones you remember from childhood, that's because they are: paleontologists discover, on average, one new species a week(!).
About the author: American paleontologist Steve Brusatte served as the scientific consultant for the 2013 film Walking With Dinosaurs. |
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| Why Dinosaurs Matter by Kenneth Lacovara; illustrated by Mike LemanskiWhat it's about: a paleontologist debunks misconceptions about dinosaurs (e.g. that their extinction resulted from an inability to adapt to changing circumstances) and discusses what we can learn from them.
Food for thought: "Dinosaurs reigned unchallenged for 165 million years. But that's only if you exclude birds, which are truly dinosaurs. If you include the birds, now known as 'avian dinosaurs'...their incredible run spans the past 231 million years."
Don't miss: the author's entertaining list of "crackpot theories" purporting to explain the dinosaurs' demise ("they all perished of constipation") |
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| Dinosaurs Without Bones: Dinosaur Lives Revealed by Their Trace Fossils by Anthony J. MartinWhat it's about: ichnology, the study of "trace fossils" -- i.e. fossils that are neither tooth nor bone, including tracks and trails, burrows and nests, tooth and claw marks, skin, and coprolites (fecal fossils).
Why you should read it: Although they may not make an awe-inspiring museum display, trace fossils are essential to understanding the biology and behavior of prehistoric organisms.
For fans of: the enthusiasm of Brian Switek's My Beloved Brontosaurus. |
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| The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth's Ultimate Trophy by Paige WilliamsWhat it does: delves into the international fossil trade, both legal and illicit, by recounting a Florida man's attempt to sell a dinosaur skeleton smuggled out of the Gobi Desert, as well as paleontologists' efforts to have the specimen returned to Mongolia.
Why you might like it: This thoroughly researched account leaves no stone unturned as it explores a world unfamiliar to many.
For fans of: Kirk W. Johnson's The Feather Thief and other books that blend natural history and true crime. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Lambton County Library 787 Broadway St. Wyoming, Ontario N0N1T0 519-845-3324www.lclibrary.ca |
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